From The Logbook
"The driving experience is a lot of fun, and I often find myself having to slow down or risk getting pulled over. It may not be the fastest, but it handles well, and for zipping around town, commuting to work, or a weekend escape, it's a great car."
Allyson Harwood
"I can vouch for it being sporty and fun to drive-maybe too much fun to drive. Just ask the officer who pulled me over and wrote me a ticket. Speed creeps up on you in this car. It's responsive and deceptive, two qualities I typically like in a car-just not today."
Mark Williams
"I'm not convinced this 160-horsepower engine feels any quicker than the 140 horsepower in the new Civic, plus Honda upped the ante by offering a hi-po version of the Civic (the Si) right out of the gate while we continue to wait for the MazdaSpeed version of the 3."
Brian Vance
"The taut, sporty suspension encourages taking turns at higher than socially acceptable speeds. The handling is the standout characteristic of this car, but the penalty for the firm dampers can be felt on bad roads."
John Kiewicz
| | 2005 MAZDA 3 S 5-DOOR |
| POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS |
| DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT | Front engine, FWD |
| ENGINE TYPE | I-4, alum block/ alum head |
| VALVETRAIN | DOHC, 4 valves/cyl, variable intake-valve timing |
| DISPLACEMENT | 137.6 cu in/2261cc |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 9.7:1 |
| POWER (SAE NET) | 160 @ 6500 rpm |
| TORQUE (SAE NET) | 150 @ 4500 rpm |
| REDLINE | 6500 rpm |
| WEIGHT TO POWER | 18.2 lb/hp |
| TRANSMISSION | 5-speed manual |
| axle/FINAL-DRIVE RATIOs | 4.11:1/3.12:1 |
| SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR | Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti roll bar |
| TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK | 2.9 |
| BRAKES, F;R | 11.8-in vented discs; 11.0-in disc, ABS |
| WHEELS, F;R | 17 x 6.5, aluminum |
| TIRES, F;R | P205/50R17 88V M+S Goodyear Eagle RS-A |
| DIMENSIONS |
| WHEELBASE | 103.9 in |
| TRACK, F/R | 60.2/59.6 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 176.6 x 69.1 x 57.7 |
| TURNING CIRCLE | 34.1 ft |
| CURB WEIGHT | 2914 lb |
| WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION, F/R | 60/40% |
| SEATING CAPACITY | 5 |
| HEADROOM | 38.2/38.3 in |
| LEGROOM | 41.9/36.3 in |
| SHOULDER | 54.9/54.0 in |
| CARGO VOLUME | 17.1/31.2 cu ft (seats up/folded) |
| TEST DATA |
| ACCELERATION TO MPH | |
| 0-30 | 2.7 sec |
| 0-40 | 4 |
| 0-50 | 5.8 |
| 0-60 | 7.7 |
| 0-70 | 10.3 |
| 0-80 | 13.5 |
| 0-90 | 17.6 |
| 0-100 | 23.8 |
| PASSING 45-65 MPH | 15.9 sec @ 87.4 mph |
| QUARTER MILE | 116 ft |
| BRAKING 60-0 MPH | 66.4 mph avg |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.88 g avg |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 27.4 sec @ 0.62 g avg |
| TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH | 2550 rpm |
| CONSUMER INFO |
| STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL | No/no |
| AIRBAGS | Dual front, front side (opt), f/r head curtain (opt), front torso (opt) |
| BASIC WARRANTY | 4 yrs/50,000 miles |
| POWERTRAIN WARRANTY | 4 yrs/50,000 miles |
| ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE | 4 yrs/50,000 miles |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 14.5 gal |
| EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON | 25/32 mpg |
| RECOMMENDED FUEL | Regular unleaded |